Walmart Ups Digital Efforts With App, COVERGIRL AR Experience

In a push to make its in-store customer shopping experience easier in the face of growing eCommerce options, Walmart has rolled out a new version of its smartphone app. New features include store maps and shopping list builders, Bloomberg reported.

The app will now contain a Store Assistant feature, which consumers can use when they walk into the retailer’s brick-and-mortar locations, allowing them to build shopping lists and find items. In addition, Walmart plans to make maps of all its 4,700 U.S. stores available through the app.

“Relying on our favorite apps is almost second nature,” Daniel Eckert, Walmart’s senior vice president of services and digital acceleration, said in a blog post announcing the new features.

The additions come about a year after the retailer added new capabilities to its app that made it faster and easier for pharmacy and money services customers. According to a press release at the time, Walmart said the updates for pharmacy customers included the ability to make easy refills after a one-time setup, skip the line once an order is placed and pay for a prescription – all through the app.

In addition to the app updates, Walmart has partnered with Coty‘s COVERGIRL brand to offer a mobile web trial experience, enabling users to model beauty looks by using the live camera on their mobile device or desktop computer. Shoppers can then purchase beauty products directly through Walmart.

In an announcement, an executive from Coty said the feature allows consumers to experience its products without having to visit a brick-and-mortar store. “Our goal is finding better ways to meet unmet shopper needs,” said Jason Forbes, Coty’s chief digital and media officer. “Virtually trying on complete trending looks, without having to download an app or go to a store, are great examples of this. We’re excited to partner with Walmart on this initiative, giving online shoppers a specific and seamless path to purchase their favorite COVERGIRL beauty looks.”